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New Apple Patent Describes Fingerprint Sensor That Could Work Through Display

Mac Fly (film) said:
The 7 Home button is the equivalent of power-steering for a car—we all still see a steering wheel. Explain how a no home button design plays out on the display. I'm using Notes, how do I get to the Home screen? Explain it in a detailed manner. "A virtual Home button" is not a detailed explanation btw. How is it used?
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A specific touch movement will cause the home button to appear on the screen. It will then act much like the current & new-patent designs.
(I wasn't sure whether you were questioning how it would be detected by the user or how the control itself would work. Obviously I've only addressed the former.)
 
Not a major innovation but definitely might add up to one some day.

haha before long TSA will be using iPhones to do detailed body scans LOL
 
The home button works and they just changed it. I don't think they would have bothered to change it if they were getting rid of it in one generation. Considering also that the home button is connected with the secure ID that is connected to payments from my credit card, I need it to be very secure and I need it to work nearly flawlessly. Why mess with it is what I think. Yes, the phone could then be shorter, but width is much more important than length as far as phones are concerned. Making a 4.7" phone a half inch shorter is only worth it if interaction is flawless. I use the the home button all the time. It should remain a good and simple experience.
 
Return Zero said:
The camera will be a much tougher animal to tame than the fingerprint reader (which was already not an optical device and thus inherently easier to 'hide'), but it has been in the works for at least 10 years:
https://www.engadget.com/2006/04/26/apple-patent-embeds-thousands-of-cameras-among-lcd-pixels/

I think the earliest we could see it surface is after at least a couple iterations of OLED/microLED screens from Apple (3-5 years out). Hopefully I'm wrong, but the current technologies for this just seem too expensive or degrading to image/screen quality for Apple to implement it.
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While the quality of the front-facing camera has improved, one thing that has not improved is HOW we take a selfie: We look at ourselves in the screen when the pic is taken, and not at the camera lens itself. Since selfies are taken in much more close proximity to the camera lens than when taking a pic with the rear camera, the greater majority of the time the subjects in the picture are staring off the edge of the actual picture. If Apple (or anyone) is able to embed camera lenses within the display in such a way that the lenses are in the vicinity of where the subject is actually looking, then not only has bezel space been cleared up, but the quality of the picture itself has also improved, and looks much more natural.
 
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I have doubts they can claim this patent considering LG I believe it is, have shown this already in working prototypes, but when you can patent oblongs with round corners I guess you can patent anything regardless of prior art.
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NT1440 said:
They've been working on this iPhone for over 4 years in terms of the display tech, the fingerprint scanner tech, and most importantly the actual manufacturing processes and tooling. This isn't a case of "coming out of nowhere".
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So you work in Apples R and D or a suppliers R and D department then? Because that is the ONLY way you would know what you just claimed.
 
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apolloa said:
So you work in Apples R and D or a suppliers R and D department then? Because that is the ONLY way you would know what you just claimed.
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Patents that get updated regularly would indicate that developments have been made year in and out on this work. I've been personally keeping an eye on screen technologies and wireless charging for 3 or 4 years now.
 
"...As is usual with patents, it is unclear whether the electrostatic lens technology will show up in any future Apple device at all...."

so basically lets patent anything we can dream up and patent troll downstream......and to think posters here get up in arms about trolls...
 
Sandybox said:
"...As is usual with patents, it is unclear whether the electrostatic lens technology will show up in any future Apple device at all...."

so basically lets patent anything we can dream up and patent troll downstream......and to think posters here get up in arms about trolls...
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Patent squatters don't tend to actually update their patents.....Apple has been revising this one for years.
 
NT1440 said:
You were saying?

http://www.patentlyapple.com/patent...-for-display-based-speakers-for-idevices.html

6a0120a5580826970c01b7c7355d61970b-800wi
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Thank you, not aware of this, but:

For sound to come out clearly, I have to hear for myself if that would work.

One bad connection and everybody sounds like speech impediment man or Fred the elephant boy from the Howard Stern show.
 
melendezest said:
Don't see why he's a luddite by asking questions...:rolleyes:

Anyhow, this is scary because removing/replacing the home button altogether is a big deal functionality-wise, and Steve ain't here to tell Juanito: NO.

BTW, the click-wheel stayed until the iPhone revolution and beyond, until the device itself was discontinued.
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A luddite in the sense that he and some others are challenging the notion of Apple even considering the removal of the home button (which is ridiculous). If we could answer the question of how it would work today, we'd all be working in Cupertino...:rolleyes:

Back to your point, what you're saying is that there's already precedent for Apple to conceivably release multiple versions of the iPhone form factor: the standard and plus versions with traditional home button placement, and perhaps a special edition with reduced bezels and home button embedded in the screen per this new patent. Why not, right?
 
would definitely look good. ergonomics in everyday usage - meh!

I'd like to be able to grip my phone instead of only being able to lay the phone in my hand. edge-to-edge screens are so annoying to handle. also, the top and bottom borders have actually been useful in handling the phone. I say minimize them, but don't get rid of them, completely.
 
NT1440 said:
Patent squatters don't tend to actually update their patents.....Apple has been revising this one for years.
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so tuning it to ensure it becomes as all encompassing as they can to stifle others......they have a troll department then?
 
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Thunderhawks said:
Thank you, not aware of this, but:

For sound to come out clearly, I have to hear for myself if that would work.

One bad connection and everybody sounds like speech impediment man or Fred the elephant boy from the Howard Stern show.
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Given the shocking volume and sound qualities Apple has managed to get out of the iPad Pro (both sizes) and Macbook (louder and clearer than any of the MBP's currently) I certainly don't think Apple has any intention of going backwards in sound quality so I think we're going to be ok.
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Sandybox said:
so tuning it to ensure it becomes as all encompassing as they can to stifle others......they have a troll department then?
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Do you understand what that patent entails? It's not the all encompassing ability to do touchscreen fingerprint scanning (got knows AuthenTec has a bajillion +1 patents on all things biometric), its for one very specific implementation. Don't rip off that exact method and you're not in violation.
 
I personally don't think we will have a full edge to edge screen. I hate the oversized bezels which lead to a larger phone than necessary, especially for Plus users. I think shrinking the bezels by at least half and removing the button would be more in line with an Apple design. No side bezels either.

This mockup is the best i've seen so far and is almost exactly what i would want for the next phone. http://www.technobuffalo.com/2016/09/22/iphone-8-concept-design-puts-the-iphone-7-to-shame/
 
maxsix said:
Yes indeed, everyday that passes I'm happier that I _DID NOT_ "upgrade" to the nascent iPhone 7.

It's obvious that the days of the Horrible Haptic Home Button are numbered.

The iPhone 7 will go down in history as Apples worst iPhone ... :eek:
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Totally agreed, good thing to dodge the bullet the 7 is.
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Mac Fly (film) said:
By far fastest with best camera and industry-leading real-world water resistance = worst iPhone. Interesting.
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If you are comparing it to the other iPhones, then the OG iPhone is the worst, but it doesn't work that way, you compare the iPhone to the competition at the time, and IMO yes the 7 might be the worst iPhone in history, if the iPhone 8 really delivers.

Fastest? Not true.
Best camera? Not true.
Industry-leading real-world water resistance? Not even close.

Again, comparing it to the competition, not to other iPhones.
 
I want to know how are we gonna realise when the phone is reading our fingerprint?

Won't it be easy to accidentally authorise things, such as payments?
 
TMRJIJ said:
Weak argument.
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Ok, how about the fact that the iMac's GPU excessively throttles because to properly cool it wouldn't work with the superthin design?

I can play this game all day long. Apple's hardware is virtually all style over substance now.
 
keysofanxiety said:
Just further confirms what's coming soon. No bezels, no home button, touch ID in the screen... it's gonna be tough to wait for this to be released.
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Yeah, but it will be worth it (I hope).
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NT1440 said:
My guess is people expecting "no bezels" on the top and bottom are going to be sorely disappointed. I expect below the screen to look exactly as it does now, with no button there. When a finger is placed in the area the outline of the home button will appear. Apple has several patents on "invisible buttons".

There when you need it, otherwise hidden from view.

For the record, I don't understand the constant hysteria here regarding bezels.
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It's about change and knowing that Samsung and others have already done it themselves with the result being a much better looking phone, at least from the perspective of keeping the bezels from being part of the conversation in a negative way.
 
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